Apron control



May 2 l, 1929.

'w. A. KENDRICK APHON CONTROL Filed Aug. 14. 1920 4 Sheets-Shea 1 M y 21, 9 w' A. KENDRICK 1.713.700

APRON CONTROL Filed Aug. '14. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 21,1929 w. A. KENDRICK 1.713.7

APRON CONTROL Filed Aug. 14. 1920 4 Sha ts-Sheet s gun May 21, 1929. w. A. KENDRICKQ APRON CONTROL Filed Aug. 14. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 21, 1929.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

WILLIAM A. KENDPJCK, OF 'WASI-IINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY CUlVIPANY, OF NORWOOD, OHIO, A. CORPO- RATION OF OHIO.

APRON CONTROL.

Application filed August 14, 1920. Serial No. 403,580.

This invention relates to a means for con trolling the movement of a web or belt member, as for instance, an apron used in a flat work ironing machine, the idea being to corroot the sidewise movement of the apron.

One object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the apron will be caused to maintain its proper path of travel through the machine so as to prevent it from creeping to one side or the other of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for correcting any sidewise displacement of the aproi'i, which means will be automatically actuated by a slight creeping movement of the apron toward one side or the other. i

Another object is to etlect a correction correspondingexactly with the degree of displacement of the apron.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means at the edges of the apron, which, upon actuation by any sidewise movement of the apron, will cause the raising or lowering of one end ofthe rollers over which the apron passes.

A still further object of: the invention is to provide an automatic adjustment means which will be actuated by any sidewise movement of the apron and thereby cause an adjustment of one end of one of the rollers.

toward or away from the apron and at the same time an adjustment of the other end of the same roller in the opposite direction.

This invention might be embodied in other forms of structure but the preferred form will be understood from the following description and claims considered together with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows in elevation the front part of a regular mangle type of flat work ironer and relative location of my apron control means; Fig. 2 shows in front elevation, several spools of a flat work ironer and relative location'of my automatic control means; Fig. 3 shows tail, a secondary adjustable connectionbe tween the journal bearing of the roller and the lever-mechanism.

In the operation of an apron belt or web over a roller some difliculty has been experienced because of the creeping of the apron "to one side or the other of the machine with the result that it would become entangled in the ment of the apron, thereby doing away with V the labor 01 a workman.

Fig. 1 shows in a general way the front part of the regular mangle fiat work ironer, the bracket being indicated by the reference numeral 1 and several of the rollers being shown at 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The worlr, after having passed through the ironing machine, is delivered over the roller 5 and is received upon table 8 at which point it can be folded for delivery. The means for operating the machine is not shown in the present drawings since such operating means is old in the art.

The roller 4 with its journal bearing 12 is capableot' movement up and down the rod member 13 and can he clamped in fixed position upon the rod 13 by means of screw 14. This is the roller which has in the past in some plants been adjusted to diflerentpositions up and down the rods 13 and 13 by lowered as required by the movement of the apron. This is the same roller which is automatically adjusted in its journal bearings by my control means up and down the supports 13 and 13', and the specific means for effecting such adjustment will now be described.

, A lever mechanism extending from the journal bearing member 12 across the front of the apron to the opposite journal bearing member 12 is actuated by means of fingers 17 and 17 which are adjustably mounted upon the angle bar 18, these finger members being so located that they will follow the side edges of the apron as it tends to creep to one side or other of the machine. The fingers 17 and This would I 17 may be givendifierent positions along the angle bar 18 by'meansof spaced holes '19 and.

19 according to the width of the apron. The angle bar 18 has pivotal connections at :21 and 21 with th'e bell crank levers 20; andQO" whichare pivotally mounted, at 22 and 22 upon the overhanginglu'aclrets lfiTa'nd 16f. lhe shorter arms of the levers mounted. at 22 and 22 have pivotal engagement at 23 and 23 with the connecting bars 24 and 24, adj ustmentbeingnllowed by, lneansof the series of holes in the shorter arms otthe .lever members 20 an d. 20, .The. connecting bars. 24 and 24 have "nvoial en 'a 'emeut at 25 and 25 ing member a pivot.

to be adjusted, sufficient play being allowed inthe'fixed journal bearing memberfor such movement'or the journal about the fixed bear- 'll1ere isalso suflicientplay between the ournal bearmgsand their supports to allow their adjustment thereon. Whether one or both of the ournal bearings are adjusted, both of the finger members 1.7 and 17 would be employed so as to be able to correct the movement of the apron in. either direction across the machine. When only one hearing is achusted, however, t wlll be seen that in order to effect a: given difwith the levers 26 and 26 which are pivotand 15 of, the frameof thei'nachine; lhe lever arms 26 and 26. are pivotally connected at 29 and 29 to connecting-bars 28 and 28' ally mounted at 2: asupon theuprights ,15.

' j ustable',

which arcsecured atBO to the lournal bearino'.

member 12,.and in like-manner to hearing; 122i;-

the.lastconuection not being shown. Thus it will be seen that as the apronteitids to creep from one slde of the machine to the other it will move againstoue or the other of the.

fingers 17 and 17", with, the result Lllllll the bar 18 willbelmoved either to the right or to the left. ltivill also be seen that. theinovemeut ofthe bar 18 to iher ight will cause the ioiu'nal bearing'nieinherlfll to be lowered,

while at the same'time the journal bearing member 12 will be raised... The result of this adjustment will be thatrthe apron will then.

move slightly in the Opposite direction, that.

is tovurdthc left side of the machine sulli--,-

cientlyto bring itbaclr-to it normal patln Then, should.the'apron tendro move toward the left side of the machine, the edge of. the

apron contacting, with the finger 17. will cause the bar 18 to movetoward the left," with the result that the ournal bearin member 12 J ca will be loweredand the bearingJQ. raised,

I thereby preventing theapron from any fun side of the,

ther movement toward the le" machine and n this way keeping it 111 its normal path; The fingers l'l and 17 are placed; at a point near the resent exactly the degree of ment of the apron. 1, V i

In F1 2 it Wlll be seen :how the ed 'e of:

V l b u a V t3 the a aron mi nn es against the nn 'er'memo I b V g t, b81"17"WliTlljllll6 edge portion-of the apron folded back, as; the result .o-l" suclrcontact,

creeping move-- thereby etfecting a. successful actuation of the lever mechanism. Y

raisedflwhile the other end In Fig. 5' will b e seenin graphic represents tation the adjustment of the roller member in its bearings, the one end of the roller being course itisunderstood that thomo'vement ofthe apron can be corrected by havingone V roller l, so that the degree offadu stment o1: thisroller w llrepo *I A mi 7 t lJt,Y')X" 1 1' 1c]. once ex a we on \Lll 1e mo enc s or the roller, it will. be necessary to make the irej-adpistment at one end; whereas, if both ournal bearin members are made adbe necessary to raise one end of the roller only half. of the given chstance since the other end of the roller would at the same timebe low M l its indicated in 5, then it would if the elven. distance. WVith this: arrangement, the adjustment has been found. to he more quickly eifectedthan intheotheri apron isindicatedthe, adpistinent of above descrlbed is to.

apron; and the aproindue to a haturaltend-Q ency' will inihe pr se] 1 aseshift across the machine toward the higher end of theroller,

Of course it is to be understood that my in veution might also be carried out by arranging he roller so as to be adjusted in other directions than that here shown, it not be ab olutely necessaly that the rollerbe ed-in a vertical plane. Itis to be unood also that my nvention lsnot lnnto use in an ironiu machine but is capable cit-generalapplication to all devices in which it oesirous to correct themovement of a traveling apron or the like. Bymeans of additional holes n the ustments can be'had withtl'ieresult that for acertain movement ofthe apron to one slde lowered. Of.

journal bearing ofthe roll er vclaii'iped in 'fiized position upon i is upright support and allow:

;ing only the other journal. bearing member or the other, the journal bearing members will'be-raised more or less, according. to the points of connection between the lever members. A finer adjustment is provided by the lever} mechanism, as above reierred to, several ad-,

means shown in Figs. 1 and 6, which might be substituted for theconnecting bars 28 and 28 at either one or theother endoit' the rolL er, or at both ends, as maybe desired; As

will oe seen from Fig, .6,;the ,clevis member 32 can be connected with the lever member 26,

by meansof the same bolt connection 29; and

has screw thread engagement with' the ad- Cjustingpin which terminates at its lowere'nd in the manipulating head 3'1 33 is t look nut. he screw nut 3 11s spacedfrom the bolt head 36 by means of the loosely mounted block 35. The threads 38 of the screw bolt 36 have engagement with the journal bearing member 12 or 12. Thus, it will be seen that by turning the threaded pin member at its lower end 37, the lever connection between the points 29 and 88 can be shortened or lengthened to as fine a degree as desired. The idea of the adjusting means is to set the roller 4: in a horizontal plane at the beginning of the operation. If such positioning of the roller cannot be had by adjustment of the bolt 25 in the series of holes shown in the lever arm 26, then the finer adjusting means, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, will be resorted to.

As shown in Fig. 1, the roller 3 is the one used for tightening the apron by means of rack and pinion connection 9 and 10, the wheel for manipulation of the rack and pinion being indicated at 11.

Among the advantages resulting from the use of this device is the automatic correction of the movement of the apron or web member across the machine, without the necessity oi? constantly observing its action. Another advantage consists in the adjustable connections provided in the lever mechanism by means of which as tine an adjustment as desired can be effected. The adjusting mechanism is very simple, while at the same time the proper correction is assured. Furthermore, the adjustment is accomplished in a very short interval oi? time and as a result the movement of the apron from side to side is reduced to a minimum.

Other advantages resulting from this invention will suggest themselves to those who are familiar with the art.

What I claim is:

1. In an apron control mechanism, the combination of a roller over which an apron is adapted to travel, said roller having a journal bearing adjustable up and. down to allow movement 01' said roller angular-1y with respect to said apron, and means controlled by transverse movement of said apron at said roller for automatically efiecting adjustment of said roller journal bearing, said means consisting of lever arms upon which is suspend ed said roller journal bearing.

2. In an apron control mechanism, the combination of a roller over which an apron is adapted totravel, said roller having an adjustable journal bearing to allow movement of said roller angularly with respect to said apron, movable fingers arranged at the edges of said apron and adapted to be actuated by transverse movement of said apron, and balanced levermechanism operatively connected with said fingers and from which is suspended said roller journal bearing for automatically effecting adjustment of said roller journal bearing.

3. Inan apron control mechanism, the combination of a roller over which an. apron is adapted to travel, said roller having an adjustable journal bearing'to allow movement of said roller relative to said apron, and means controlled by transverse movement of said apron for automatically effecting ad justment of said roller journal bearing, said means including a lever arm upon which said roller journal bearing is suspended.-

i. In an apron control mechanism, the combination of a roller over which an apron is adapted to travel, said roller having adjustable journal bearings to allow movement of said. roller relative to said apron, and means controlled by transverse movement 01 said apron and adjacent said roller for automatically effecting adjustment of said journal roller bearings, said means including lever arms upon which said roller journal bearings are suspended.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM A. KENDRICK. 

